PNE Fans’ Panel member John Roper says Alex Neil’s men deserve a big turnout for the Birmingham clash

Jayden Stockley heads in the winner for PNE at Boro

Published:10:57Thursday 14 March 2019

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A game of two halves doesn’t even begin to tell the story of how we came back and collected all three points at Middlesbrough on one of those nights that will live long in the memory.

North End could have easily been three or four down at half-time against a Boro side still smarting from a home defeat last Saturday against Brenford.

However they only had one goal to show for their efforts at half-time and PNE made them pay big time in the second half.

The sending off of Ayala helped the cause as North End grew in stature and equalised from the free-kick conceded by the Middlesbrough captain before his sending off.

When Stockley scored the winner with nine minutes to go there were scenes of utter joy in the away section as North End had done what no Preston team had done since April 1972 and that is win a league game at Middlesbrough.

Alex Neil made two changes in personnel and a change in formation as North End looked to quell the home sides threat.

Josh Earl came in for Darnell Fisher and Ben Pearson, as expected, replaced Ryan Ledson in midfield.

Preston started with a 3-4-1-2 formation which clearly did not work and we were under pressure almost from the moment we gave the ball away, almost from the kick off.

Boro had a series of corners which North End did well to defend but we were getting caught down the flanks with Earl and Browne covering those wide positions.

It was no surpise when Boro went ahead through Fletcher even though the ball took a heavy deflection to beat Declan Rudd.

How we managed to keep it down to one I will never know but we did and the game was about to turn 180 degrees after a re-gig at half time from the manager.

North End reverted to 4-2-3-1 in the second half and looked much more comfortable from the off.

Brandon Barker replaced Earl as North End adopted a more attacking strategy with Barker getting plenty of joy down the left -hand side.